Hub cap and means for securing same to wheel hubs



w. N. BOOTH 1,943,159

URING SAME TO WHEEL HUBS A Jan. 9, 1934.

HUB CAP AND MEANS FOR SEC Filed 00T.. 15, 1928 ATTORNEYS 5 which eng:

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 STTE HUB CA?? AND MEANS FR SEGUE-ENG SAME T()WHEEL HUBS William N. Booth, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Kelsey-HayesWheel 5 Claims.

The invention relates to vehicle wheels and refers more particularly tohub caps and means for e to wheels. One of the objects ci ention is toprovide an improved con- .ction of h ib which may he readily secured toa wheel l which greatly improves the appearance the- -o Another ohjectis to provide a connnon me. is for alternatively securing the hub cap toont and a rear Wheel. Further objects of the invention reside in thenovel features oi notion and combinations and arrangements or" partsmore fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a fragmentary iront elevation of a vehicleWheel embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2--2 of Figure i;

F'gure 3 a similar View through a iront wheel.

The vehicle shown in the present instance is a motor vehicle Wheelhaving the hub 1 and the Wheel 2. The hub has the barrel 3 and the hiredflange l intermediate the ends of barrel. The reel cody has the Woodenspokes the rear portion of the barrel 3 and the rear face of the flangeportion 4 and are secured to the hub by the series oi bolts 6 and nuts7. The brake drnrn 8 is also preferably secured to the wheel body andagainst the rear face the spokes by the saine securing means.

As shown in Figure 2, the barrel 3 is provided with the key-Way 9 fornonwrotatably securing the hub upon the drive shaft of the motorvehicle, so that the Wheel shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a rear or driveWheel.

The Wheel shown in Figure 3 is a front steering wheel and is of thesaine construction as the vfhee shown in Figures 1 and 2 with theeXception that its hub 1o is made so that it may be journaled upon thesteering spindle. Specifically, the barrel 11 of this hub extends inadvance of the Xed flange 12 a greater distance than the barrel 3relative to the iiXed flange 4. The front portions ci both barrels 3 and11 are formed with the same external threads 13 and 14, respectively.

To provide for using a hub which may be econoinically manufactured, 1provide a hub cap for completely concealing the hub. This hub cap mayhave various shapes Without penalizing the cost of manufacture of thehub, and as shown in the present instance, 15 is the hub cap which isformed of sheet metal and preferably drawn to shape. This hub cap hasthe barrel portion 16 with the enlarged iront end 17 and the flangeportion 18 with the radially extending flange 19 and Corporation,Detroit,

the transverse annular flange 2). The radially extending flangepreferably formed with the forwardly extending'bosses 21 correspondingin number to the bolts 6 and having the appearance oi bolt heads. Theannular ange is of a diarneter to engage over the fixed hub flange 4 sothat the hub cap can completely conceal the hub l, as shown in Figure 2.This hub cap may also be used, as shown in Figure 3, to completelyconceal the hub 10.

To avoid marring or damaging the finish or paint of the spokes uponengagement of the hub cap therewith, this hub cap is formed with thetransverse or inwardly extending flange 28 at its rear edge adapted tohave a surface contact with the spokes.

To secure the hubl cap l5 to the Wheel, I have provided the adapter 22,Which is adapted to threadedly engage the Wheel hub and the hub cap.This adapter has the internal threaded portion 23 at one end and theenlarged external threaded portion 24 at the other end, the internalthreaded portion being adapted to engage the threads 13 upon the barrel3 and the external threaded portion being adapted to engage the internalthreads 25 upon the barrel portion 16 of the hub cap. This adapter isprovided with the diametrically opposite slots 26 in the outer end oithe external threaded portion 24 and with the projections 27 extendingoutwardly from the inner end of its internal threaded portion 23, boththe slots and the projections being peripherally spaced and providingshoulders for engagement by suitable tools to turn the adapter upon thehub. This adapter is designed to be used upon either the front or therear Wheel hubs, which vary in' length, to secure the same hub capalternatively to these hubs and for this purpose the adapter may bereversed end for end to take care of the varying distances between theiront ends of the barrels of the hubs and their fixed flanges, theshoulders formed by the slots 26 and projections 2'7 being adapted to bealternatively engaged by suitable tools.

In Figure 3 the parts corresponding to the parts shown in Figures 1 and2 are indicated by corresponding reference characters which have beenprimed and it will be noted from inspection of this iigure that theadapter 22' is reversed end for end so that the hub cap 15 may properlycontact with the Wheel body formed by the wooden spokes 5.

What I claim as my invention is:

1` An adapter for alternatively securing a hub cap to vehicle wheel hubshaving barrel portions of different lengths, comprising a member havingan annular portion engageable With the barrel portions aforesaid andprovided with another annular portion having an internal diametergreater than the external diameter of the barrel portions for sleevingover the latter and arranged to engage said cap for securing the same inassembled position.

2. An adapter `for alternatively securing a hub cap to vehicle Wheelhubs having barrel portions of different lengths, comprising areversible sleeve-like member having a portion engageable With thebarrel portions aforesaid and having another portion provided with aninternal diameter greater than the external diameter of the barrelportions and arranged to sleeve over the latter in one position of themember and to extend axially outwardly therefrom in the reversedposition of said member, and means for securing the cap to thesecond-mentioned portion of the member.

3. An adapter for alternatively securing a hub cap to vehicle wheel hubshaving barrel portions of different lengths, comprising a reversiblesleeve-like member terminating at one end in a threaded portion adaptedto threadedly engage the barrel portions and terminating at the oppositeend in an enlarged portion having an internal diameter substantiallygreater than the external diameter of the barrel portions and arrangedto sleeve over the latter in one position of the member and to extendaxially outwardly from the end portions of the barrels in the reverseposition of the member, said enlarged portion having threads forthreadedly engaging the hub Cap to secure the same in position.

4. An adapter for alternatively securing a hub cap to vehicle Wheel hubshaving differently formed barrels, comprising a member having a portiondetachably engageable with the barrels of the hubs and having anotherportion spaced axially and radially outwardly from the port-ionaforesaid and detachably engageable with the cap for securing the samein position, said member being reversible end-for-end to vary theposition of the second named portion of the member axially of thebarrels.

5. An adapter for alternatively securing a hub cap to vehicle Wheel hubshaving differently formed barrels, comprising a member having aninternally threaded portion detaohably engageable with the barrelsaforesaid and having an externally threaded portion spaced axially fromthe portion aforesaid and detaohably engageable with the cap forsecuring the same in position, said member being reversible end-for-endto vary the position of the externally threaded portion of the WILLIAMN. BOOTH.

